Summary

• Matt Reeves' DC universe, including The Batman and The Penguin series, offers a darker, more violent, and less restrained take on Gotham City compared to the main DCU.
• Colin Farrell's portrayal of The Penguin showcases the character's anger, rage, and lighthearted sense of humor, making him a useful villain in the long-term plan for Reeves' Batman franchise.
• The Penguin series, set to release in 2024, will connect directly to the narrative of The Batman and will explore Penguin's attempts to gain power in a semi-destroyed Gotham after the events of the film. It is likely to draw inspiration from the No Man's Land Batman comic storyline.

Matt Reeves’ DC universe began with his neo-noir crime epic The Batman in 2022, and will continue with an HBO Max original series The Penguin, following the character's story after the first film. Reeves’ movies don’t take place in the same official universe as the main DCU, so there are plenty of opportunities for the director to tell a darker, less restrained story than the upcoming DC Universe seems set to be, avoiding needless humor and getting straight to the point with a dark story that mirrors some of DC’s most beloved comic storylines.

Penguin is possibly The Batman’s most important villain, and although he spends much of the movie in the shadows, it’s clear that he’s going to have a much larger role after The Batman ending opened up further opportunities for him to exert his influence over Gotham in the upcoming DC release. Presuming the character makes it through this story unscathed, The Penguin will likely be a huge part of Reeves’ long-term plan for The Batman franchise.

The Penguin TV Show Latest News

The newest information regarding the upcoming DC release came with the release of The Penguin's newest teaser trailer, which released March 22, 2024. The trailer reveals more about the series and what to expect from The Batman spinoff, featuring a glimpse at some of Oz's origin story, and the trials and tribulations he's set to face in his efforts to take advantage of the power vacuum that The Batman ending leaves in Gotham.

Prior to this, the most recent news for the DC series was the reveal that filming has concluded for the show as of February 2024. This is a promising update, especially after the show was reportedly moved from a Spring 2024 window to a later Fall 2024 date according to Decider reporter Megan O'Keefe's coverage of the Max 2024 Slate Preview.

HBO revealed the 2024 release date window for The Penguin in their April 2023 teaser for the show.

The Penguin TV Show Confirmed

The plans for Reeves’ Penguin TV show were confirmed shortly after the critical and commercial success of The Batman, with Farrell being the first cast member whose involvement was announced. It will connect directly to The Batman’s narrative, expanding Reeves’ vision of Gotham City through the Penguin’s perspective. It was also confirmed in March 2022 that an Arkham Asylum series would be going ahead, taking the place of a previously-rumored project surrounding the GCPD. Despite many steps forward in this Arkham Asylum spin-off, the details are still firmly under wraps.

Behind the scenes, both Reeves and Dylan Clark will serve as executive producers on the show, so it’s safe to assume that much of The Batman’s signature style and voice will also be present in this show. The creator, showrunner, and writer is Lauren LeFranc, who’s best known for her previous work on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The exact lineup of directors hasn’t yet been announced, but it has been announced that Mare of Easttown’s Craig Zobel has announced that he’ll be helming The Penguin's first two episodes (via THR).

The Penguin TV Show Release Date Info

HBO revealed The Penguin is reportedly scheduled for a Fall 2024 release date, after being pushed back from a prior projected Spring 2024 release. The Penguin is rumored to closely bridge the gap between The Batman and its sequels, so there needs to be plenty of time for this entire universe to be constructed before the show can be finalized and released

The Penguin TV Show Cast

Farrell will obviously be returning as Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot (aka The Penguin), with a whole new cast of friends and foes at his side to help flesh out this original story. Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother) will also make an appearance as Sofia Falcone, the villainous daughter of Gotham’s previous crimelord Carmine Falcone.

The Batman changed several things about Falcone, but he was still portrayed as the greedy criminal that he’s always been in the comics. If his daughter is even remotely similar, she could pose a real threat to Penguin’s attempts to take control of Gotham - or perhaps become his greatest ally.

It’s also been reported that Michael Kelly (House of Cards), Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse), and Deirdre O’Connell (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) will play large roles in the series, but their characters haven’t been revealed (via Variety). Since Reeves hasn’t yet discussed which comics or stories he’s drawn inspiration from, it’s impossible to predict which DC figures will make appearances in The Penguin — but there’s bound to be some Easter eggs for long-term fans. Rhenzy Feliz (Runways) has also been cast in the series, as Victor Aguilar, who is reportedly a new character made specifically for the series.

Will Robert Pattinson Be In The Penguin TV Show?

Robert Pattinson’s Batman is rumored to appear in The Penguin, but details haven’t yet been confirmed. Given the interconnected nature of these stories, it would definitely make sense for Pattinson’s Batman to show up, even if it’s only briefly, to connect The Penguin to the story of The Batman. Since nothing has been confirmed yet, it’s safe to assume that Pattinson’s appearance (if genuine) will be a surprise.

The Penguin TV Show Story Details

The Penguin teaser trailers provide further details regarding the show's plot. The teaser appears to concretely confirm the series will cover Cobbleplot attempts to gain further power in Gotham in the wake of The Batman movie ending, which saw The Riddler flood Gotham, plunging it into chaos. Notably, the idea of villains trying to take control of a semi-destroyed Gotham does bear some remarkable parallels to the Batman: No Man's Land comic series, which also saw a series of Gotham's rogues attempt to take sections of the city for their own.

Drawing from this series for inspiration for The Batman franchise would make sense with this in mind, partly because Reeves has always been adamant that DC’s comics are a hugely important factor when writing these cinematic adaptations. This would also make sense because the story involves villains popularly theorized to be in The Batman 2, like the Joker and Clayface, though Riddler does notably flee Gotham for the entire of this arc - but this last aspect wouldn't need to be adapted into the film, especially taking into account its more gritty iteration of the DC villain.

HBO’s Sarah Aubrey has also shed a little light on the narrative of Reeves’ show, stating: “The goal of this is to show what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham, trying to get up and over as only the Penguin can. As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions. It is a great example of having the time over eight episodes to tell a longer-arc character story with a lot of delicious twists and turns and new characters.” (via Variety)

Is The Penguin Part Of The DCU?

James Gunn’s new announcements about the DCU have confirmed that Reeves’ The Batman (and all related spin-offs like The Penguin) will exist outside of the main continuity under a section labeled ‘Elseworlds’. This means that no existing DCU characters will be appearing in these movies, which immediately shuts down any speculation about potential crossovers with Joker, Justice League, or any other DC properties that have links to Gotham City. This will be a completely separate project with its own story that doesn’t affect that wider DCU in the slightest.